"Imouto," the Japanese word for little sister, is a popular character archetype in the medium of anime, even spawning its own category of shows. The imouto craze in the anime community has an understandable appeal, with a plethora of adorable little sisters appearing in various series to steal the hearts of both the viewers and other characters.
The cutesy and innocent little sisters trigger a protective response in the fans, while the bratty and hilariously energetic ones can be an incredible comic relief. And while best-known little sister characters come from imouto anime, which focuses primarily on the relationship between the protagonist and his charming younger sibling, endearing little sisters can even steal the show despite having a sole background role
10 Kirino Kousaka From OreImo Started It All
The queen of the imouto archetype, Kirino Kousaka from OreImo is, by far, the most popular little sister character in anime history. This show started the imouto craze in the genre, inspiring countless creators to include a little sister character in their works.
And the appeal of Kirino as a character is far from surprising. In her ordinary life, she keeps up an appearance of an excellent student, achieving perfection in every discipline and working a part-time modeling job. Yet, behind closed doors, Kirino is a hardcore otaku, obsessed with brother-sister eroge and all things moe.
9 Kaede Azusagawa From Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Has Amnesia
Supporting his younger siblings through trying times is a challenging yet righteous job for a responsible older brother. And Sakuta Azusagawa from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai tries his best to help his little sister, Kaede. After suffering from the Adolescence Syndrome, Kaede lost her memories and shifted from a cheeky and outgoing girl into a paranoid shut-in, terrified of going outside or interacting with strangers. Inspired by Mai and her brother, Kaede faces her fears and slowly recovers from her condition, gaining back her lovable personality and old memories.
8 Tanaka Rino From Tanaka-Kun Is Always Listless Is The Opposite Of Her Brother
Not every little sister has the luxury of being naive and irresponsible, as, sometimes, she has to take on the difficult task of caring for her older, much more immature sibling. Yet, the shift in roles doesn't deprive the little sister of her irresistible cuteness. Tanaka Rino, the protagonist's younger sister from the comedy slice-of-life Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, might look similar to her older brother, inheriting his lifeless expression and facial features, yet the two siblings couldn't be more different. Due to her brother's slothful attitude, Rino is the one keeping their household from falling apart, doing all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning.
7 Mashiro Mitsumine From Engaged To The Unidentified Is An Adorable Sister-In-Law
Kobeni Yonomori's ordinary life turns on its head when her mysterious fiancé from the marriage arranged by her late grandfather and his younger sister move in with her. Yet, the spotlight in Engaged to the Unidentified gets constantly stolen by the girl's new sister-in-law, an adorable little girl called Mashiro Mitsumine. Nine-year-old Mashiro attends the same high school as Kobeni and her older brother, Hakuya, and uses her intellect and magical powers to appear older. Nevertheless, her intellectual advances don't take away from Mashiro's bratty, adorable personality, guaranteed to make every heart melt.
6 Mairu and Kururi Orihara From Durarara!! Are Twice The Trouble
Durarara!! introduces a set of two twin imouto characters into its storyline, the Orihara sisters, who have the misfortune of having the infamous evil informer Orihara Izaya as their older brother. Unlike most little sisters in anime, Mairu and Kururi Orihara aren't too invested in their older sibling's antics. They are used to relying on themselves, sharing a passion for martial arts, and compensating for each other's weaknesses. During their childhood, the twins decided to split every good quality of a person between each other, making their unit unstoppable.
5 Kagura From Gintama Stands Out On Her Own
A little sister doesn't have to rely on the relationship with her older brother to be a brilliant, endearing character. In the case of Gintama, Kagura's older brother doesn't even make an appearance for the majority of the first season.
Nevertheless, Kamui's sparse involvement in the plot doesn't make Kagura any less incredible of a character, both as a person and in the context of their relationship. Growing up, she was very dependent on her older brother, yet, the nostalgic memories made the rivalry between the siblings only more bitter when Kamui became the show's primary antagonist.
4 Shiro From No Game No Life Is The Brains Of The Operation
Considered an unrivaled genius of logical thinking, root cause analysis, and problem-solving, Shiro from No Game No Life might be the smartest little sister character, if not the most intellectually advanced person, in anime history. On the other hand, Shiro's social skills appear to be lacking, and she has trouble communicating her emotions, even to the people she trusts. Nevertheless, in the game-based fantasy world of Disboard, Shiro and her older brother, Sora, don't have opponents they couldn't beat, compensating for each other's shortcomings and adding to their team's strengths.
3 Ui Hirasawa From K-ON! Takes Care Of Her Older Sister
Commonly, the little sister in anime always has an older brother to keep her company, with most imouto shows focusing on their dynamic. Yet, K-ON! breaks from the conventional tropes, introducing a pair of two equally incredible and charming sisters. Ui Hirasawa is, in essence, a much more mature, reasonable, levelheaded, and reliable version of her older sister, Yui. Her older sister's head might always be in the clouds, yet Ui still loves her dearly, supporting Yui's musical hobby with more vigor than anyone else.
2 Karen And Tsukihi Araragi From Monogatari Series Form Another Dynamic Duo
Karen and Tsukihi Araragi, also known as the Tsuganoki Second Middle School Fire Sisters, are the beloved younger siblings of the notorious Monogatari protagonist, the human-vampire hybrid Koyomi Araragi. Like every other character affiliated with Koyomi, the sisters often become targets of various oddities, with Tsukihi even unknowingly being one herself. While not resembling anime's typical imouto archetypes, the Fire Sisters have endless charm and unorthodox personalities. Karen is a hot-blooded tomboy, and Tsukihi acts more airheaded and introverted, despite being surprisingly short-tempered.
1 Momo Kawamoto From March Comes In Like A Lion Is A Much-Needed Ray Of Sunshine
Realism isn't the most prominent quality of little sisters in anime. Yet, the grounded and authentic tone of March Comes In Like a Lion makes every character in the show appear realistic and act with a certain level of level-headed genuineness. The series often explores heavy and emotional topics, such as depression, bullying, and trauma. Yet, the audience cannot feel too down when Momo Kawamoto is on the screen. The youngest of the Kawamoto siblings, Momo brings light to every character's life with her cheerful attitude and adorable childish innocence.